Instrument panel assembly



April 20, 1937. w. A. BROYLES INSTRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 7, 1936 H15 ATTORNEY 5 Patented Apr. 2Q, 1937 5 Claims.

My invention relates to automotive vehicles, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved system of illumination for the several instruments mounted on the in- 6 strument board of vehicles.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is'a plan view of a group of instruments embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2--2 of 10 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of my rheostat switch and t e method of mounting the electric lamp; and

Fig}. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of the instrument board I8, which may be of conventional design. This board is provided with an opening I2 and the material ofthe board around the opening is bent at I4 and IE to provide a flange I8 positioned inwardly of the face of the board.

Between the flange I8 and the flange 28 of an instrument supporting plate 22, I position a rub ber ring 24. The plate 22 is drawn firmly against the ring 24 by means of a bracket 28 riveted to the plate Mat 28. In Fig. 3, the bight 38 of the 30 bracket is provided with an "opening for thereception of a-screw 32 passing through a fixed support 34 such as the bulkhead of the vehicle. The necessary pull is exerted upon the bracket 26 by tightening-the nut 36 on the screw 32.

Upon the plate 22 I mount an oil pressure gauge 38, a gasoline gauge 48, an ammeter 42, a temperature gauge 44, and a speedometer 48. These gauges are of conventionaldesign and need not be described in detail. I prefer to'provide 40 the plate 22 with openings for receiving the instruments 38 to 46, which instruments may be pressed into their respective openings as indicated at 48 in Fig. 3 and firmly secured therein by welding or other suitable means. The instru-' ments maybe provided with flanges 58 for determining the accurate positioning of the devices.

The dial plate 52 extends over the inner ends of the instruments and is providedwith a flange 0 54 lying against the flange 28. I provide the dial plate 52 with a series of dial readings 58, 58, 88,

82, and 54, for the instruments 38 to 48, respectively; These instruments areprovided with conventional pointers 88 arranged in operative rela- 5' tion with the dial reading A rubber ring 88 is placed upon the flange 54 to provide a bed for a glass 18 having its edgeresting on the rubber ring. I fixedly connect the glass in position by a bezel 12 arranged to press against the glass. This bezel is provided with enlargements 14 having threaded openings for the reception of screws 16 passing through the ring 68 and the flanges 54 and 28. All these parts are drawn firmly together when the screws 18 are tightened. f

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, I mount a reflector I8 adjacent the inner face of the glass I8 and centrally thereof. Both the glass and the reflector are provided with aligned openings for the mounting of a light assembly 88 (see Fig. 4) The lamp assembly includes an electric lamp 82 for illuminating the dial readings upon the plate 52. In addition to direct illumination, the reflector I8 provides an intensified illumination. The degree of illumination may be controlled by a rheostat switch 84.

The'opem'ng in the reflector I8 is slightly larger than the. opening in the glass 18 for receiving a rubber liner 88. This liner is positioned between the edge of the opening in the reflector and a metallic liner 88 fitting snugly within the opening in the glass. The liner 88 is of tubular construction, and its ends are flared at 88 for connecting the reflector to the glass.

The metallic screw part 92 of the electric light is screwed into a socket 84 which is separated.

from the liner 88 by a rubber cushion 95. The socket 94 terminates in a flange 98 connected with a rheostat switch body I88. The flange 88 and the liner 88 are electrically connected at I82 and the latter is electrically connected with the battery of the car through the medium of the conductor I84.

The rheostat switch body I88 is provided with J a bore I86, which bore is closed by means of a cap I88 having threaded relation at II8 with a tubular member II2 connected with the bezel I2 through the medium of ribs H4. The ribs 4 are semicircular in cross section for strengthening purposes. At the same time, one of the ribs provides a. housing for the conductor.

Upon the cap I88 I mount a knob I I8 for operating the rheostat switch. This knob is fixedly connected with a shaft II8 having a contact arm I28 arranged to be moved into electrical contact with the rheostat winding I22 which is electrically. connected with the pin I24 "having electrical contact with the central terminal of the electric lamp 82. The cap I88 possesses conducting prop- "efilcient illumination for all the instruments in addition to the instrument panel. The reflector- 18 performs an efficient intensifying function in addition to shielding the light 82 from the eyes of the driver. The rubber rings 24 and 68 provide a cushioning function and eliminate noise. A single bracket holds the assembly in mounted relation with the instrument board III, while the assembly may be disconnected by removing the screws 16.

While I have shown the reflector 18 as conforming to the face oi. the glass I0, it will be understood that the reflector may be shaped to define difierent configurations on different sides of the light 82 for restricting or reflecting light rays in difierent directions.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions or service.

I claim: a

1." An instrument mount for motor vehicles, comprising a support for a plurality of register instruments, a dial plate extending across said instruments, a sight glass extending across the dial-plate in spaced relation therewith, means for connecting the glass, the dial-plate, and said support into a unitary whole, an electric light carried by said glass for illuminating the dial plate,

a shield arranged in operative relation with the electric light for rendering the same invisible, and a rheostat switch associated with the electric light, said means comprising a part of the circuit forthe rheostat switch.

2. An instrument mount for motor vehicles,

comprising a support for a plurality oi register instruments, a dial plate extending across said instruments a sight glass extending across the dial plate in spaced relation therewith, means for connecting the glass, the dial plate, and said support into aunitary-whole, an electric light carried by said glass for illuminating the dial plate, and a rheostat switch connected with said electric light, said means comprising a part of the circuit for the rheostat switch.

3. An instrument mount for motor vehicles, comprising a support for a plurality of register instruments, a dial plate extending across said instruments, a glass extending across the dial plate in spaced relation therewith, an electric light carried by the glass, a rheostat switch connectedwith the light, and means for securing the glass imposition and supporting the rheostat switch, said means comprising in part a part of the circuit for the electric light.

4. An instrumenmmount for motor vehicles comprising a support for a plurality of register instruments, a dial plate extending across said instruments, a transparent sight element extending across said dial plate in spaced relation therewith, means for connecting the transparent sight element, the dial plate and said support into a unitary assembly, an electric light carried by said transparent sight assembly tor'illuminating the dial plate, a shield arranged in operative relation with the electric light for rendering the same invisible to occupants of the motor vehicle, a switch associated with the electric light, said means comprising a part of the circuit for the switch,

a pair of spaced fixed supports, one of said fixed supports constituting an abutment for said uni- 1 tary assembly, and tension means connected with the unitary assembly and the other of said fixed supports for holding the unitary assembly in position.

5. An instrument mount for motor vehicles.

comprising a support for a plurality of register instruments, a dial plate extending across said instruments, a transparent sight element extending across the dial in spaced relation therewith,

means for connecting the transparent sight element, the dial and said support into a unitary assembly, an electric light carried by said transparent sight element ior illuminating the dial, a shield arranged in operative relation with the electric light for rendering the same invisible to occupants of the motor vehicle, and a switch associated with the electric light, said means comprising a part of the circuit for the switch WATKINS A. BROYLES. 

